Read Online The Spider Bites by Medora Sale - Free Book Online Page A

I started things rolling. I told a couple of people I was going to poke around the site of the fire.”
    â€œWho?” asked Mark.
    â€œAngela and Susanna. Then I went over to see if anyone turned up.”
    â€œYou bastard!” said Angela. “You suspected me?”
    â€œOf course not,” I said. “But I wanted to make sure. After all, you were pretty angry.”
    â€œI had reason to be,” said Angela.
    â€œI know. But…”
    â€œSave the fights for later,” said Mark. “What did they do?”
    â€œAngela told me I was crazy,” I said. “That made me feel better. Of course, I didn’t feel so wonderful when I turned up at her apartment and saw you there, Mark. I didn’t know you two knew each other.”
    â€œAnd Susanna?” asked Angela.
    â€œNothing much. I went over to the park and waited. Mark turned up. And then Greg. Interesting, I thought. You tell two women and two guys turn up.”
    â€œI told you,” said Greg. “I was just killing time until I could go and pick up Susanna. When I called her, she said to give her thirty minutes to pull herself together, like. She’d meet me outside Jenny’s house. Isn’t that what you said, Susanna?”
    â€œSomething like that,” said Susanna.
    â€œCan we get away from the damn park for a minute?” asked Tony. “There’s no law against sitting and talking to people in a public park at nine or ten at night.”
    â€œLook, Tony. Two things happened at the park that night that shouldn’t have.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œSomeone screwed up the power lines. And someone hit me on the head. If his aim had been better, I’d be dead.”
    â€œWho?” said Angela.
    â€œIt’s pretty obvious. Most of us wouldn’t have the guts to play around with high tension wires. But there’s an electrician in the room. Sitting right there. How’s your leg, Greg? Weren’t you limping just a little? How much damage did I do?”
    All the eyes turned on Greg.
    He pushed his chair back. “Okay. I went over to see what was happening. Just like you, Rick.” He stood up. “I bumped into Rick in the dark. He fell and hit his head. I bruised my ankle. No big deal. I apologize, Rick. Let’s go home, Susanna.”
    â€œWait a minute,” said Susanna. “Forget Greg. He knew nothing about what was going on.”
    â€œReally? Who did then?” I asked.
    â€œTony. He used Greg. He needed help from someone with no connections to Rodriguez or the police.”
    â€œHow do you know?” I asked.
    â€œGreg told me,” she said. “This morning. He asked me what to do.”
    Greg sat down, burying his head in his hands.
    â€œWhy would Tony do it?” I asked.
    She looked around. Everyone in the room was staring at her. As if she was a snake coiled up on the table, ready to strike.
    â€œFor the money. I think he had big gambling debts.”
    â€œTony?” said Angela. “He doesn’t even play poker with the guys.”
    â€œSure,” said Susanna. “That’s what everyone thinks.”
    â€œWe don’t just think it, Susanna. We know it,” I said. “Anyway, Rachel would break his nose if he did.”
    â€œShe would, Susanna,” said Tony, grinning. “Believe me. And she knows every cent I spend.”
    â€œHe’s conning you, Rick. The way he’s always conned everybody. I’ve been working around these guys for almost two years, and I can see it.”
    â€œSee what?” asked Tony.
    â€œYour connections with Rodriguez,” said Susanna. “Even the soccer team he coaches. It’s filled with kids who’ve been busted for dealing.”
    â€œOkay,” I said, “let’s say Tony did it. Why involve Greg?” I wondered what she’d say.
    â€œHe needed someone with a truck that no one would notice. Greg’s truck was